A Major League Baseball franchise with Utah connections could be for sale soon.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels announced that the organization — read, owner Arte Moreno — has begun evaluating the idea of selling the team.
The Angels are the parent club of the Salt Lake Bees, who are the Angels’ highest minor league affiliate, competing in Triple-A.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to own the Angels for 20 seasons,” Moreno said in the announcement. “As an organization, we have worked to provide our fans with an affordable and family-friendly ballpark experience while fielding competitive lineups which included some of the game’s all-time greatest players.
“Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is the time. Throughout this process, we will continue to run the franchise in the best interest of our fans, employees, players, and business partners.”
After the Angels won the World Series in 2002, Moreno bought the team the next spring, becoming the first Mexican-American to own a major pro sports team.
The Bees have been the Angels’ top affiliate since 2001.